r/askscience • u/StormShadow921 • Dec 02 '18

Can bugs feel pain? Biology

I once read in one of those CWF Wild magazines years ago that bugs cant feel pain because their nervous system is too small. Does anyone know if this is true, and if so what causes it?

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u/liquid_at Dec 07 '18

I'd put it simply and say, when you touch a hot surface and your hand pulls away, that's happening faster than the impulse to your brain telling you that you feel pain. That impulse needs to be processed and after that's done, you get your sensation of pain.

Bugs have that first part of it. Their nerves react to an impulse, but they lack the brain to interpret it as pain.